I run a casino in the immortal realm.

He was a seasoned veteran who had been in the western frontier for over twenty years. He was able to climb to the rank of fifth grader not only by giving gifts, but also by having a keen sense of the political situation.

"no."

Ma Zan shook his head and sneered, "You don't know anything. That old fox Hu Qi is hoping Zheng Yifei dies in Pengcheng. The Western Rong army is about to arrive, but Hu Qi won't send a single soldier. He's clearly trying to use the orcs to kill someone."

Mazan walked to the desk, sat down, and tapped his fingers lightly on the surface.

"Zheng Yifei is a man of the Prince of Pingxi. If we report him now, even if Hu Qi wants to intervene, he will have to consider the Prince of Pingxi's face. Besides, Zheng Yifei is a madman. If we push him too far, he might actually take a sword and chop off my head."

"So we're just going to put up with this?"

The captain of the personal guard was somewhat unwilling.

"Endure? Of course we must endure."

Ma Zan's lips curled into a sinister sneer: "Isn't Zheng Yifei supposed to be capable? Promoting a mere sergeant as strategist is utterly ridiculous! How can those ten thousand or so defeated soldiers possibly stand against a hundred thousand half-beast warriors!"

Ma Zan picked up the remaining half-cup of cold tea on the table and drank it all in one gulp.

"Pass down the order: tell our trusted men to keep a close watch on things in the camp. If Pang Xun wants to reorganize, let him do it; if he wants men, give them to him."

We'll just go through the motions, preserving our strength. Once the Western Rong army arrives, the ambush at Wanhun Valley will be lost, the city's defenses will collapse, and Zheng Yifei and his men will definitely be terrified and abandon the city."

Ma Zan's eyes gleamed with calculation: "Once he deserts in the face of battle and loses Pengcheng, we'll take the evidence of his reckless promotions and misguided command that led to the defeat and complain to Hu Qi."

At that time, the capital offense of losing the army and disgracing the country, and deserting in the face of battle, would be enough to exterminate his entire family! And I, the general, could at least gain a reputation for enduring humiliation and preserving my strength for future revenge. This is called using someone else to do the dirty work, completely crushing him!

"The general is wise!"

The captain of the guards suddenly realized what was happening and began to flatter him repeatedly.

While Ma Zan was plotting in his mansion, a dramatic change was taking place in the military camp in Pengcheng.

The training ground at the northern camp of the city.

Pang Xun, dressed in brand-new military general's armor and with a long sword at his waist, stood on the high platform.

Below are five thousand soldiers who have just been forcibly assembled.

These soldiers were all emaciated and pale, some even lacking full armor. Their spears were covered in rust, and they stood slouching, their eyes filled with numbness for the future and fear of the impending war.

Pang Xun looked at his familiar comrades and took a deep breath.

"Bring the stuff up!"

Pang Xun waved his hand.

Dozens of anti-smuggling officers carried more than a dozen heavy camphor wood crates up to the high platform.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The box was roughly pried open and kicked over.

Silver coins and low-grade spirit stones, exuding rich spiritual energy, rolled onto the high platform like small mountains, reflecting a dazzling light in the sunlight.

The once lifeless training ground was suddenly filled with gasps of shock.

All the soldiers stared wide-eyed at the silver coins and spirit stones.

"Brothers!"

Pang Xun channeled his spiritual power and roared, "I, Pang Xun, used to be just like you, a poor man who couldn't even afford a full meal! Our superiors embezzled our military pay and made us fight the orcs with rusty scraps of iron."

I know you're scared, I know you don't want to fight!

The drill ground was completely silent, except for the echoing of Pang Xun's voice.

"But today, the General has spoken!"

Pang Xun pointed to the silver on the ground: "What I owed you before, I'll make up for today! From now on, excluding the old and weak, all able-bodied young men who can wield a knife will be reorganized! Each selected person will receive a resettlement allowance of ten silver coins on the spot!"

A commotion broke out in the crowd. Ten silver coins were enough for these low-ranking soldiers to feed their families for a year.

"That's not all!"

Pang Xun drew his longsword, pointing it straight at the sky: "The General has ordered that in this battle, killing one orc will earn you ten silver coins! Killing one centurion will earn you one gold coin! Killing one chiliarch will result in an immediate promotion to officer! The General's treasury is already open; as long as you're alive, there's plenty of money!"

A generous reward will surely attract brave men. The soldiers, who had been numb, began to breathe heavily.

"but!"

Pang Xun's tone shifted abruptly, his voice turning icy cold: "Take this money, and your life belongs to the General! On the battlefield, if one man retreats, the entire squad is executed! If an entire squad retreats, the whole squad is executed! Anyone who dares to fight will face my wrath without mercy!"

One hand holds a big stick, the other a sweet date.

The old, weak, sick, and disabled were removed and assigned to transport supplies within the city; the able-bodied soldiers were reorganized into three battalions and issued weapons and leather armor.

Although their fighting strength cannot compare with that of elite troops, at least in their eyes, there is no longer only fear, but also a hint of desire for reward and a fighting spirit to survive.

The General's Mansion, White Tiger Hall.

A dark figure swept in from outside the door like a ghost, kneeling on one knee. It was Night Owl, who was in charge of scouting outside.

"Sir, we've figured it out."

The owl's voice carried a hint of weariness, but was very crisp: "The Tiger General's army under the command of the Left Valley King of the Western Rong is currently 120 li away from Pengcheng and is setting up camp. Their marching speed is very fast, and they are expected to arrive at the city of Pengcheng by noon the day after tomorrow."

"Where are the vanguard troops?"

Gongsun Zhi immediately asked.

"The Vanguard is a 10,000-strong unit of the Wolf Clan, commanded by a Wolf Clan commander."

Night Owl planted a small black flag on the sand table, exactly thirty miles west of the Valley of Ten Thousand Souls: "This 10,000-strong force is entirely composed of wolves. They are extremely fast and have broken away from the main force. They are currently advancing towards the Valley of Ten Thousand Souls."

We expect to enter the outer perimeter of Ten Thousand Souls Valley by tomorrow morning.

"Ten thousand Wind Wolf Soldiers."

Gongsun Zhi took a deep breath and looked at Zheng Yifei: "My lord, the wolf soldiers are the most elite troops in the Western Rong army. They are extremely mobile. If they are allowed to pass through Wanhun Valley and directly besiege the city, it will be a huge blow to our morale."

We must devour these ten thousand people in the Valley of Ten Thousand Souls!

Zheng Yifei nodded, then turned to Pang Xun: "How are the decoy forces ready?"

Pang Xun stepped forward and said, "My lord, I have selected one thousand brave men from the three newly reorganized battalions. Each of them has been given a settlement allowance of thirty silver coins, and I have promised that if they return alive, they will all be rewarded with ten gold coins."

The leader is a trusted subordinate; he's absolutely reliable.

"A thousand infantrymen are sent to provoke ten thousand Wind Wolf soldiers. This mission to act as bait is fraught with peril."

Gongsun Zhi said solemnly, "General Pang, you must tell the leader that they cannot run too fast or too slow."

If you run too fast, the enemy will suspect a trap and might not pursue you; if you run too slow, you'll be riddled with arrows by the wolf soldiers before you even reach the Valley of Ten Thousand Souls.

"Rest assured, strategist."

Pang Xun gritted his teeth: "I have already given instructions. These thousand men are there to risk their lives. They will form an array ten miles outside Wanhun Valley, creating the illusion of an attack. They will collapse at the first touch and then flee into the valley."

The wolves are arrogant by nature. Seeing that we only have a thousand men and yet they dare to block our way, they will definitely be enraged and will not let go.

"it is good."

Zheng Yifei slammed his hand on the table, setting the tone.

He turned to look at the door: "Ouyang Zhan!"

"Your subordinate is here!"

Ouyang Zhan strode in.

"Take all the brothers from the anti-smuggling team, put on ordinary armor from the Pengcheng Army, and blend in with the ambush forces on both flanks."

Zheng Yifei instructed, "Once the formation of Ten Thousand Souls Valley is activated, the orcs will be thrown into chaos. Your mission is to act as the spearhead, specifically hunting down orc officers and high-ranking combatants. Don't linger in battle; once you've finished, retreat into the formation's cover, understand?"

"Understood! My axe has been itching for a long time!"

Ouyang Zhan grinned, his eyes filled with a bloodthirsty glint.

"Gongsun Zhi, I am handing over full command of the Valley of Ten Thousand Souls to you. Wang Changsheng will assist you in controlling the formation within the valley."

Zheng Yifei looked at the strategist he had promoted without regard to precedent and said solemnly, "This is our first battle in the Western Frontier. We can only win, we cannot lose."

Gongsun Zhi took a step back and bowed deeply: "Rest assured, my lord, if I fail to keep these ten thousand wolf soldiers in Wanhun Valley, I will offer my head in return!"